School Drinking Water Plan Checklist

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Who this page is for

Anyone building a drinking water plan from scratch

This page is for facilities directors, business managers, or administrators who need to turn scattered knowledge — who tests, when, which fixtures exist, what happens after a bad result — into one written plan that survives staff turnover and can be handed to a new facilities hire without starting over.

Component 1

Fixture inventory

List every fixture used for drinking or food preparation across every building: drinking fountains, bottle fillers, and kitchen taps. For each, record location, fixture type, approximate installation date (flagging anything pre-1986), and whether it has an associated filter cartridge. This inventory is the backbone the rest of the plan is organized around — nearly every other component references it.

Component 2

The testing record

Document each testing round: the outlets sampled, the ELAP-approved lab used, sampling dates, results, and who coordinated collection. For any outlet at or above 5 ppb, record the remediation taken and the confirmation re-test. This is the single piece of documentation most likely to be requested during an audit or parent inquiry.

Component 3

Sampling plan (if testing)

If your school tests, the plan should reference EPA's 3Ts first-draw sampling protocol, specify which fixtures are sampled each round, and name the accredited laboratory used. See our NY School Lead Testing Overview for the full sampling methodology.

Component 4

Corrective action procedure

Define, in advance, what happens the moment a result comes back at or above 5 ppb (New York’s school action level's threshold for NY schools — any detectable lead, not the more general 15 ppb EPA action level): who is notified, how quickly the fixture is taken out of service, who decides on remediation (flushing, filtration, or replacement), and who confirms the re-test. Having this defined before a result comes in avoids delay and confusion in the moment.

Component 5

Maintenance schedule

Tie routine maintenance directly to the fixture inventory: filter replacement intervals for bottle fillers, cleaning schedules for all fixtures, and flushing protocols after extended closures. See our bottle filler and drinking fountain maintenance guides for the specifics of each.

Component 6

Roles, responsibilities, and communication

• Name a single point of contact responsible for the plan, testing coordination, and reporting to NYSDOH and the local health department
• Define who is authorized to take a fixture out of service without waiting for sign-off
• Set expectations for communicating results — routine and elevated — to staff and parents
• Note where the plan itself is stored and who has access to update it

Component 7

Annual review

Revisit the entire plan at least once a year, ideally aligned with your lead testing round and school board reporting cycle. Update the fixture inventory for any renovations or replacements, confirm contact assignments are still accurate, and archive the prior year's records rather than overwriting them.

Common mistakes

Mistakes to avoid

• Building a plan around testing alone, without a fixture inventory to organize it
• Defining corrective action informally rather than in writing before a result actually comes in
• Leaving the plan owned by a single person's institutional knowledge instead of a written, transferable document
• Skipping the annual review because "nothing changed" — renovations, staff changes, and fixture replacements happen more often than plans get updated to reflect

When to get help

When to get professional help

A facility water-station service can help build your initial fixture inventory, draft a plan template suited to your buildings, and take over ongoing maintenance and testing coordination so the plan stays a living document rather than a one-time exercise.

Official sources

Official source links

• New York State Education Department: Lead in Drinking Water
• EPA: 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do we still need a written plan if testing is handled at the district level?

It's still worth having one. A written plan documents your fixture inventory, sampling schedule, results, and any remediation — the records New York expects public schools to keep under 10 NYCRR Subpart 67-4, and that support accountability during an audit or parent inquiry.

Who should own the drinking water plan at a school or district?

Typically the facilities director or business manager, with a clearly designated point of contact named in the plan itself so staff, parents, or NYSDOH know who to reach with questions.

How often should the plan be reviewed?

At least annually, ideally timed to the same cycle as your lead testing round, so the review and the testing requirement reinforce each other rather than happening on separate schedules.

What's the single most valuable part of the plan?

The fixture inventory. Nearly everything else in the plan — the sampling plan, the maintenance schedule, the corrective action log — is organized around it, and it's the piece most schools are missing entirely when they start.

Last reviewed: July 9, 2026